The present invention relates to cleaning apparatuses and, in particular, to machines used to sweep, scrub and burnish a floor.
Industrial floor cleaners are used in many applications involving large surface areas of flooring which need to be cleaned. For example, warehouses, factories, hangers, convention centers, hospitals, supermarkets and department stores all have large surface areas which need to be cleaned. Additionally, the time in which to perform this cleaning is often limited. In order to properly clean this type of flooring, it is often necessary to separately sweep the floor, scrub the floor, and then burnish the floor.
Current industrial floor cleaners used in these applications come in two types. One such cleaner is the type which can perform a single function, such as scrubbing. This type of cleaner is typically powered using a power cord that is electrically connected to an electrical outlet. This machine is usually operated by an operator who walks behind the machine. Cleaning a floor with this type of cleaner thus entails separate steps of sweeping, scrubbing, and finally burnishing the flooring surface. Separate hardware is therefore needed for this type of arrangement. Also, as noted, time constraints are often associated with these type of applications which can only be met by not performing all three cleaning functions, or by using more than one operator to perform the three functions at the same time. Moreover, since operators walk behind such a machine, operator fatigue limits the time of operation and thus the floor space which can be cleaned is limited. Another disadvantage of this type of cleaning machine is the lack of mobility that is created by running off of a power cord, as movement through aisles and around equipment is hindered by the cord.
Another type of industrial cleaner exists, wherein the operator is stationed on the cleaning vehicle itself, typically in a seat, with a steering mechanism to control the vehicle. This type of machine has the advantage of allowing larger surface areas to be cleaned in a limited amount of time and eliminating operator fatigue. Additionally, these machines are often battery powered, thereby overcoming mobility problems associated with a power cord. However, such machines may only have a single cleaning assembly and therefore do not perform all three cleaning functions simultaneously, thereby having many of the same limitations as discussed above with single component machines. One difficulty with having more than a single cleaning assembly on such a machine is the increased power consumption of the additional cleaning assembly. This additional powered assembly decreases the surface area that is able to be cleaned on a single charge of the battery. If the cleaning cannot be done with a single charge, the cleaning must be either split between more than one machine, or split into time intervals using the same machine. These type of machines overcome mobility problems associated with power cords, but do not overcome many of the problems related with time constraints due to being able to perform only one cleaning function at a time and having a limited surface area which can be cleaned between charges.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a multiple-function machine that is battery operated, allowing the operator to have full mobility of the machine to make efficient use of time. It would also be advantageous for such a cleaning machine to have a power source that is easily removable and replaceable, thus allowing the operator to swap power sources efficiently thereby allowing floor surfaces to be cleaned with reduced time and effort.
The present invention provides a battery powered cleaning machine for sweeping, scrubbing, and burnishing floors that is particularly well suited to applications that involve relatively large floor surfaces which need to be cleaned in relatively short periods of time.
To address the applications, a battery powered cleaning machine that has several cleaning assemblies and an operator station for accommodating a riding operator is provided by the present invention. Consequently, the present invention addresses the noted deficiencies of floor cleaning machines in such applications, i.e., the limitations on time for single function cleaning machines, limitations on mobility of cord-powered machines, and limitations on surface area for multi-function battery operated machines.
The cleaning machine of the present invention also addresses the noted applications by placing cleaning assemblies or elements in certain locations, such as on the front or rear of the vehicle. For example, in the preferred embodiment, a sweeping cleaning assembly is placed at the front of the machine, a scrubbing cleaning assembly is in the middle, and a burnisher cleaning assembly is located at the rear. Additionally, the burnisher cleaning assembly is mounted on a movable assembly which is capable of pivoting away from the rear of the machine to provide access to a battery storage assembly within the machine.
The present invention also provides a battery support assembly for carrying and holding a battery pack. The battery support assembly includes a cart having wheels thereby allowing easy movement of the battery support assembly. The battery support assembly is positionable in a battery pack storage area of the cleaning machine.
Further, in one embodiment, the battery storage assembly includes a battery storage area bounded by inner side walls and two ramps. A first ramp is adjacent to one of the two inner side walls and a second ramp is adjacent to the second one. The battery support assembly can thus be easily and quickly positioned and removed from the cleaning machine by rolling it up and down the two ramps along its side edges, with substantial portions of the battery support assembly being locatable in the battery storage area.